


One Last Splurge

by quiet__tiger



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 04:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10846611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet__tiger/pseuds/quiet__tiger
Summary: Catwoman takes one last evening for herself.





	One Last Splurge

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Swan Song."
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal 26th-May-2010.

Catwoman crept over the roof of the museum, trying to keep a low profile even in the shadows. There was no room to get caught tonight, especially by Bruce or one of his kids. It was her last night on the criminal activity side of the fence, and being interrupted would spoil all of her fun.

She’d already hit a couple jewelry stores for gems and pendants, and several art galleries for paintings and tapestries. The natural history museum held a new exhibit of Indian animal sculptures, many of them tigers. She planned to take one home to add to her collection.

It was a ridiculous night of crime, and she could fully admit it. But committing to Bruce’s mission, becoming his ally… she had to stop stealing. Even when her heart was in the right place and the resulting funds went to good causes. Tonight, though, tonight was about taking what she could while she could for herself, and she was going to enjoy it.

She took off the grate of the ventilation system and dropped inside the museum. With all the crazies in Gotham it would make sense to have better security systems on places that held expensive or irreplaceable items, but no, no alarm.

From there it was easy to make her way to the exhibit hall. She studied the statuettes and finally chose one that was understated yet spoke to her. Male and female, yin and yang, strength, power, placidity, submission... There was a lot she could read into a sculpture with two big cats facing off.

She actually made it all the way to the roof again before she was stopped by a Batarang embedding itself in the roof at her feet. No, the thinner ones Nightwing used. She looked up and there he was, standing casually in a shadow. She rolled her eyes behind her goggles as he said, “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I could say the same about you. Don’t you have a belfry to haunt?”

“Wrong guy. But I’m still going to have to confiscate that.” He gestured to her new sculpture with another of his Batarangs.

“But it’s mine, Little Bird.” Though not so little anymore.

He made a move towards her, but Catwoman was already running towards the fire escape. She was able to get a hand on her whip and used it to make it down the rickety ladders in record time. Down the alley, across the street, and up on the next roof in seconds.

Where Nightwing stood waiting yet again. “You’re getting predictable.”

Yet one more reason to work _with_ Bruce and his team—more time to reinvent herself. Minus taking on a costume or moniker with wings. As if.

Rather than acknowledge that to Nightwing, she feinted to the left but used her whip to the right, getting the end of it around his ankle. It was enough to trip him up for a second, which was all she needed to bind his hands. While tightening the whip around his wrists, she purred, “Yet I still get the edge over you boys. Girls rule and boys drool.”

“Sassy.”

“That’s for sure. See you soon.”

She patted his cheek before taking her leave, sculpture held tightly in one hand. She wondered if she really had any head start at all, considering it was Nightwing, but decided not to worry about it.

Catwoman disappeared into the night, and soon added the sculpture to her collection. Male and female, yin and yang… The piece was certainly special to her, what with her double-but-soon-to-be-single life and the complexity of her new partners.

A night well-spent for her last time, with a bonus Bat-chase. But she was looking forward to the new experiences to follow.


End file.
